Patent EA-001294-B1 (EA)
Title: Gasification reactor apparatus
Inventor: MATON MAURICE EDWARD GEORGE
IPC: C10B53/00
Filed: 1999-06-16
Abstract: 1. Gasification reactor apparatus (10), comprising a combustion chamber (70) wherein is mounted a gasification vessel (12) which has an inlet (41) for feedstock (14,14') to be gasified and an outlet (24,38) for discharging product gas, the inlet (41) including air-isolating and sealing means (50) for preventing ingress of air to the vessel (12) with feedstock, and in an upper part (12') of the vessel (12) there is a combination rotary fan and cyclone unit (20) which, in use, respectively (a) disperses incoming feedstock (14,14') into contact with a heated inside wall of the vessel (12) and (b) establishes a cyclone in the product gas for ridding the gas of particulate matter before discharge from the outlet (24, 38). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the combustion chamber (70) is a gas-fired furnace. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said inlet (41) is provided in a top cover (26) of the vessel (12) and the fan and cyclone unit (20) is disposed beneath and proximate the top cover (26). 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the fan and cyclone unit (20) comprises a disk element (62) spaced from the top cover (26) and having fan blades (64) on an upper surface thereof for dispersing incoming feedstock (14,14') against the heated inside wall at the top of the vessel, and the disk element being rigidly affixed to a central, axial shaft (22). 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the fan and cyclone unit (20) further includes a plurality of cyclone paddles (66) rigidly affixed to an underside of the disk element (62) and to said shaft. 6. A gasification reactor apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fan and cyclone unit (120) comprises a conical collar fixed to a rotatable shaft (122) there being a plurality of upstanding generally radially extending plates (163) upstanding from the upper surface of the conical collar (162) and a plurality of paddles (164) depending from the conical collar (162) so as to be adjacent the side wall (112') of the vessel (112). 7. A gasification reactor apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including one or more spiders (136) connecting the paddles (164) to the shaft (122). 8. A gasification reaction apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7, including an annular wear plate (165) attached to the vessel facing the outer extents of the plates (163). 9. A gasification reaction apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the vessel (112) has an inwardly domed bottom wall (112''') which merges with the side wall (112') of the vessel (112) to form an annular trough (116). 10. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein each paddle (66) has a radially outermost part which is bent, curved or angled forwardly in the direction of rotation of the unit (20). 11. Apparatus according to claim 5,6 or 10, wherein each paddle (66) is disposed tangentially to the shaft to project forwardly in the direction of rotation of the unit (20). 12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the vessel has a central upstanding duct (24) closed at a top end by a gas-tight bearing (30), and the fan and cyclone unit (20) is mounted on a shaft (22,122) extends upwardly along the duct (24). 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the shaft (22) has a bush (34) at a lower end thereof, which is a loose fit around a centering pin mounted axially in the vessel (12). 14. Apparatus according to any of claims 12 to 13, wherein the shaft (32) is hollow and has apertures (22', 22'') adjacent its lower and upper ends, the hollow shaft (32) being a conduit for conveying particulate-freed product gas to the outlet (24, 38). 15. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the outlet (24,38) is constructed and arranged to recirculate some of the product gas to the vessel (12) in the course of its progress to discharge. 16. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the vessel (12) has an air-lock duct (16) at a bottom thereof to permit discharge of ash without admitting air to the vessel. 17. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the air-isolating and sealing means is a sealed feeder device (50) for supplying feedstock airlessly to the inlet (41). 18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the said feeder device comprises a chamber (52) having an inlet (54), sealing means (56) comprising rollers (58) with yieldable peripheries defining a yieldable sealing nip which in use passes solid feedstock particles but not air, and a conveyor (60) for advancing the feedstock (14) to the inlet (41). 19. Apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the feeder device (50) further includes a line (44) for feeding liquid feedstock (14') to the inlet (41). 20. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the outlet (38) is coupled to an oil or water curtain scrubber/cooler. 21. A method of gasifying solid and/or liquid organic matter for producing high calorific value product gas, comprising the steps of heating a gasification vessel (12) to elevated temperature while excluding air therefrom, admitting feedstock (14,14') airlessly to the top of the vessel (12) and dispersing the feedstock into immediate contact with the heated inside of the vessel at the top thereof, for decomposition into gas and ash, exerting a cyclone motion on the product gas within the vessel (12), and conducting substantially particulate-freed gas to an outlet (24,38) along a central axial path through the vessel. 22. A method according to claim 21, wherein onset of gasification of feedstock (14,14') is effected within about 1/100 sec of its admission to the vessel (12). 23. A method according to claim 22 or claim 22, wherein the vessel (12) is heated to a temperature of 900 degree C or higher. 24. Product gas produced by the method of any of claims 22 to 23, which has a gross calorific value of at least 23.1 MJm<3>, for example 23.1 to 34.8 MJ/m<3>.